What a difference a one-day strike makes

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Indicator from Planet Money — "What a Difference a One-Day Strike Makes"

Release Date: December 4, 2024
Host: Stephen Bissaha and Waylon Wong
Produced by NPR

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Introduction

In the December 4th episode of The Indicator from Planet Money, hosts Stephen Bissaha and Waylon Wong delve into the evolving landscape of labor strikes in the United States, focusing specifically on the increasing prevalence of one-day strikes. The episode examines what these short-term strikes indicate about union power today and explores the strategic purposes they serve for different types of workers.

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The Rise of One-Day Strikes

The conversation kicks off with an engaging dialogue between Stephen and Waylon about the feasibility of enduring strikes of varying lengths. This lighthearted banter sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the trend of short-term strikes.

Waylon Wong humorously reflects on the difficulty of sustaining prolonged strikes, stating at [00:33] that "no way I could last on strike for almost two years," highlighting the impracticality of extended strike actions for many workers.

Stephen Bissaha introduces the central theme at [01:11]: "What do short strikes say about union power in the US? And what can you accomplish with only 24 hours on the picket line?"

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Case Study: University Medical Center New Orleans Nurses

The episode spotlights the nurses at the University Medical Center New Orleans, who initiated a one-day strike in October to emphasize their demands for better working conditions.

Waylon Wong explains at [03:07] that the nurses, having unionized a year prior, aimed to negotiate for "a safer workplace, get a pay bump and push the hospital to hire more nurses." The nurses are grappling with being "overworked and overwhelmed."

Dana Judkins, a nurse at the trauma orthopedic clinic, underscores the urgency of their demands by stating at [02:56], "There are few unions, that our demands are really demands for the health care and safety of our patients."

The strike, lasting only 24 hours, demonstrated the nurses' commitment without the prolonged disruption typical of longer strikes. Dana Judkins further emphasizes their resolve at [03:43]: "We feel that this is the right way to go. And I'm here for the long haul."

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Historical Context and Union Power

John Logan, head of the Labor and Employment Studies department at San Francisco State University, provides a historical perspective on union dynamics in the U.S. at [04:13]. He notes, "It's really taken off in the past 10, 15 years." Logan recounts how unions were stronger in the past but faced significant challenges during the 70s and 80s due to economic shifts, globalization, and deregulation.

At [05:07], Logan explains, "Unions used to fight back against concessions with strikes, but companies started getting rid of those striking workers." He highlights the vulnerability of workers who strike by stating, "You cannot be fired for participating in a lawful economic strike, but you can be replaced permanently."

This historical weakening of unions set the stage for the modern adaptation of strike tactics, including the adoption of one-day strikes as a strategic response.

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Types of One-Day Strikes: Low-Wage Workers vs. Workers with Leverage

The episode distinguishes between two primary categories of workers who employ one-day strikes, each driven by different motivations and circumstances.

1. Low-Wage Workers
   At [06:18], Stephen identifies low-wage workers as one group using one-day strikes due to financial constraints. Waylon Wong elaborates that for employees at places like Starbucks, McDonald's, and Walmart, longer strikes are "just not going to be able to afford to go out on an open-ended long strike."

   John Logan adds, "If the company was absolutely resistant, they could go out on one day strikes until the cows come home." However, he expresses skepticism about the efficacy of such strikes in altering company behavior.

2. Workers with Leverage
   The second group comprises workers who possess significant leverage, making even a single-day strike impactful. Waylon Wong points to airport workers and the aforementioned nurses as examples who can "inflict [huge] economic pain or a huge amount of disruption" with minimal strike time.

   John Logan concurs, noting that these workers can achieve substantial results without the need for prolonged action.

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Tactics and Effectiveness

One-day strikes offer several strategic advantages:

• Economic Feasibility
  For low-wage workers, short strikes minimize financial loss. Waylon Wong mentions that participating in a one-day strike requires sacrificing "a lot less" pay compared to extended strikes at [07:03].

• Public Opinion Management
  Short strikes help maintain or garner public support. John Logan explains at [07:10], "It's also a way to win a battle in the war for public opinion." By keeping strikes brief, workers can avoid the negative perceptions that may accompany prolonged industrial action.

• Media Attention
  Condensed strike actions can generate significant media coverage without the ongoing disruption of long-term strikes. The episode references the nurses' strategic timing of their strike alongside a Taylor Swift concert to maximize visibility, as described by Waylon Wong at [08:14].

However, the effectiveness of one-day strikes is debated. John Logan cautions that while they are easier to manage operationally, they may not compel employers to change policies unless the strikes are backed by substantial leverage, as seen in the nurses' case.

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Engagement and Media Strategy

Short strikes not only serve immediate bargaining purposes but also keep union members engaged and active in their advocacy efforts. Waylon Wong highlights the nurses' tactical alignment of their strike with a major public event to amplify their message, as shared by Angel Carreras at [09:06]: "We've had a good turnout the entire time we've been here... hoping that some swifties see us and maybe post it to their story and make it a more nationwide news."

This approach ensures continuous engagement without the burnout associated with prolonged strikes, maintaining momentum for ongoing negotiations.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes by emphasizing that while one-day strikes may not wield the same immediate power as their longer counterparts, they represent a strategic adaptation to the current economic and social climate. By balancing financial constraints with the need for impactful action, unions are navigating a complex landscape to advocate for workers' rights effectively.

Waylon Wong wraps up at [09:40], reiterating the significance of media tension generated by short strikes without incurring the sustained hardship of longer labor actions.

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Key Quotes

• Waylon Wong [00:33]: "No way I could last on strike for almost two years."
• Stephen Bissaha [01:11]: "What do short strikes say about union power in the US? And what can you accomplish with only 24 hours on the picket line?"
• Dana Judkins [02:56]: "There are few unions, that our demands are really demands for the health care and safety of our patients."
• John Logan [05:07]: "Unions used to fight back against concessions with strikes, but companies started getting rid of those striking workers."
• John Logan [07:10]: "It's also a way to win a battle in the war for public opinion."
• Angel Carreras [09:06]: "We've had a good turnout the entire time we've been here... hoping that some swifties see us and maybe post it to their story and make it a more nationwide news."

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This comprehensive examination of one-day strikes offers valuable insights into modern labor strategies, the shifting power dynamics between unions and employers, and the nuanced approaches workers are adopting to advocate for their rights effectively.

Transcript

[Stephen Bissaha]

So, Waylon, let's say the indicator goes on strike. How long do you think you could last?

[Waylon Wong]

Stephen Bissaha, I know where this is going. Last time you asked me when we had a full episode about a strike that went more than 600 days. And I can tell you right now, no way I could last on strike for almost two years.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Okay, I should have known better than to try get something past you. But it's totally fair. How about, you know, a much shorter strike? Like, let's say just one month?

[Waylon Wong]

I mean, maybe that's a long time still, but I think I could do a month easier than a year or more.

[Stephen Bissaha]

How about just one day?

[Waylon Wong]

Oh, one day. Yeah, that's easy. See you on the picket line.

[John Logan]

Yeah.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Well, Waylon, you're in luck. One day. Strikes have been a growing trend over the last decade.

[Waylon Wong]

This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Waylon Wong.

[Stephen Bissaha]

And I'm Stephen Bissaha from the Gulf States Newsroom. On today's show, what do short strikes say about union power in the US.

[Waylon Wong]

And what can you accomplish with only 24 hours on the picket line?

[Terri Mogiles]

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Humana. Your employees are more than your co workers. They're the heartbeat of your business. That's why Humana offers modern group benefits designed to protect employees and their families with dental, vision, life and disability coverage. Humana knows every employee and every business is unique. That's why they listen to your needs and build plans with you and your team in mind. That's the power of human care. This message comes from Capital One. Say hello to stress free subscription management. Easily track, block or cancel recurring charges right from the Capital One mobile app. Simple. Simple as that. Learn [e-mail] Subscriptions terms and conditions apply. This message comes from ADP. Whether it's a last minute policy change or adding a new company holiday, anything can change the world of work. From HR to payroll, ADP helps businesses take on the next anything. ADP always designing for people.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Strikes can be long, grueling wars of attrition to see who blinks first, the workers or the company.

[Waylon Wong]

Or sometimes strikes can be a party.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Thank y'all for having me. Shout out to all the nurses out there. Hell yeah. Hell yeah.

[Waylon Wong]

You're like, is this a holiday party or is this the strike?

[Stephen Bissaha]

It is definitely a strike. And the nurses getting that shout out are from the University Medical Center New Orleans. They went on strike in October with the kind of picket line you'd expect from that city.

[Dana Judkins]

I feel like it's multiple holidays rolled up in one. Mardi Gras, Christmas, birthday.

[Waylon Wong]

This is what people should be doing to celebrate Labor Day.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Yes.

[Waylon Wong]

Anyway, that is Terri Mogiles. She is a nurse at the hospital's trauma orthopedic clinic. Now, Terri and these other nurses unionized about a year ago. They wanted a union so they could try negotiating a safer workplace, get a pay bump and push the hospital to hire more nurses. Because right now they say they are overworked and overwhelmed.

[Dana Judkins]

There are few unions, that our demands are really demands for the health care and safety of our patients.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Like you said, Waylon, it's been a year since they unionized and the nurses are still negotiating. So to show that they're serious, nurses told the hospital in October, get ready for a strike.

[Dana Judkins]

We feel that this is the right way to go. And I'm here for the long haul.

[Waylon Wong]

Well, maybe the long haul when it comes to the negotiations, not the long haul on the picket line. The strike itself was only scheduled to last 24 hours.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Yes. And they're not the only workers keeping it brief. Cornell University has a strike tracker, and according to that, the majority of strikes last year lasted less than five days. Most of those are just one day or less so. Yet these kind of short strikes have become super common.

[John Logan]

It's really taken off in the past 10, 15 years.

[Waylon Wong]

John Logan runs the labor and Employment Studies department at San Francisco State University.

[Stephen Bissaha]

I'm actually curious, have you ever been on strike?

[John Logan]

Yes, California Faculty association, my union. We've engaged in a number of one day and three day strikes over the past decade.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Whoa, three day strikes. Now you're playing real hardball.

[John Logan]

Yeah. We had planned to go out on a five day strike last semester, but the union called it off after one day.

[Waylon Wong]

John says these kinds of strikes with these set time limits were not always the norm.

[John Logan]

It used to be unions would call a strike and it would be an all out, indefinite all out strike. Now those types of strikes decreased very dramatically from like, you know, the late 70s to the late 90s.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Thing is, unions used to be way more powerful in the US but they started to lose that power in the 70s and 80s. That was a time of big economic.

[John Logan]

Changes that left unions weakened, globalization, deregulation, entry of major new non union competitors. The environment became more challenging for unionized companies. So companies started to demand huge concessions in their contracts.

[Waylon Wong]

John says unions tried fighting back against those concessions with strikes, but the companies just started getting rid of those striking workers.

[John Logan]

You know, you cannot be fired for participating in a lawful economic strike, but you can be replaced permanently.

[Stephen Bissaha]

That kind of sounds like a firing to me. I know you're not fired. There's someone sitting in your desk.

[John Logan]

That's right. You know, to the worker who's being permanently replaced, it essentially makes no difference.

[Waylon Wong]

John says strikes did eventually start coming back, especially in the 2010s, but the power dynamics between unions and companies had shifted. So the unions had to change tactics and that's what led them to the one day strike.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Now, there are two types of workers that go on one day strikes and for two different reasons.

[Waylon Wong]

First up are low wage workers. The reason they go on one day strikes is because long ones just aren't realistic for someone already struggling to make it on a low wage.

[John Logan]

If you're working at Starbucks, if you're working at McDonald's, if you're working at Walmart, they're just not going to be able to afford to go out on an open ended long strike strike. The employer could easily replace them.

[Waylon Wong]

One day strikes were a way to get around both those problems. That was from a one day strike back in 2015 put on by McDonald's workers. Recently it's been unionized Starbucks workers leading the short strike trend.

[Stephen Bissaha]

The big advantage here is that workers don't have to give up much pay, certainly a lot less than if they were going out on strike for weeks or months.

[Waylon Wong]

John says it's also a way to win a battle in the war for public opinion.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Maybe better to say avoid losing one.

[John Logan]

If they were to go out on an indefinite strike, they might sort of like, you know, threaten a lot of support they have in the community.

[Stephen Bissaha]

They might get the blame instead of the employer in that scenario.

[John Logan]

Exactly. Yes. Yeah.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Well, the examples you gave Starbucks, Walmart, in many ways, these weren't exactly successful. Sure, Starbucks has a bunch of unionized workplaces, but they don't have a first contract at this point. Walmart doesn't have a union. Are one day strikes, do they have a bad track record ultimately?

[John Logan]

Well, no, I think you're right to question how successful they are. If the company was absolutely resistant, they could go out on one day strikes until the cows come home. I don't think it would inflict enough economic damage on the company to make any difference. It's not going to alter the company's behavior.

[Waylon Wong]

But one day strikes can be more effective with the second kind of worker that relies on them. Here we're talking about workers with leverage.

[Stephen Bissaha]

Think airport workers or those New Orleans nurses. Just one day without nurses. That's a huge deal. The hospital had to drop a lot of cash to hire expensive replacement nurses to keep things running.

[John Logan]

You have that type of enormous leverage that you inflict huge economic pain or huge amount of disruption by going out in a one day strike. They are still very effective.

[Waylon Wong]

Still, even for nurses, a short strike just doesn't bring the same amount of leverage as one without an end date.

[Stephen Bissaha]

But there is another advantage of short strikes keeping workers engaged.

[Waylon Wong]

Engaged definitely describes the New Orleans nurses during their strike. They also timed it to happen the same day as a Taylor Swift concert. Dana Judkins is a nurse at the hospital and it's actually kind of tough to hear her over the sound of passing swifties honking their support.

[Angel Carreras]

You know, we've had a good turnout the entire time we've been here. Really. I'm really proud of everyone for showing up, spreading the word as the streetcar goes by, you know, hoping that some swifties see us and maybe post it to their story and you know, make it a more nationwide, more nationwide news.

[Stephen Bissaha]

And that's often the other important goal of, of a one day strike. Get the kind of media tension that comes from a long one without the same kind of pain.

[Waylon Wong]

This episode was produced by Angel Carreras with production help from Drew Hawkins. It was engineered by Jimmy Keighley and fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Kikin Cannon edits the show and the indicator is a production of npr.

[Kikin Cannon]

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